Andrew Tosh central to father's celebration
Published:Monday | October 23, 2017 | 12:00 AMKimberley Small
The Peter Tosh Music Festival extended itself from celebrating the man, to become a McIntosh family affair, demonstrating an apparently undying legacy.
While the festival pulled the support of many local music industry greats, the celebration also invited the presence and performance of the deceased Wailer's family.
The absence of Tosh was lessened after Andrew Tosh opened the show, delivering vocals that were nearly identical to his father's. Andrew even danced like him. A majority of the night's performances were supported by the unwavering Word Sound and Power band.
Andrew took command of the festival, as the only soloist gracing the stage a total of four times. Not only did Andrew open the show, but performed three other times. Historyman was the festival's second performer, followed by Nadine Sutherland who sang her own hit record Action, along with Tosh classic, Steppin' Razor.
Young Jazara, granddaughter of the Legalize It revolutionary, also took the stage to sing an original song dedicated to her grandfather. The budding songstress was followed by powerhouse vocalist Ikaya - who took the audience to church with a scintillating rendition of When Jesus Say Yes, before participating in a duet with Andrew.
Representative of the reggae revival, 'Small Axe' Jesse Royal, performed his well-known hit, Modern Day Judas, before singing the iconic Tosh tune, Nah Go A Jail. Completing the trifecta of familial support through performance, Dre Tosh also took the stage and shared an energetic performance of Comin' Een Hot with his father, Andrew.
Queen Ifrica and Tony Rebel were the final two reggae stars to take the stage, before Mick Jagger (via video) shared his most cherished memory with Peter Tosh. As it were, it was the time Tosh and Jagger were invited to perform (You Gotta Walk And) Don't Look Back on Saturday Night Live in 1978, and as part of the festival line-up, that performance was shared via big screen.
This, however, was not the final act. Live Wyya band, Freddie McGregor and Luciano took their time on the festival stage, before Andrew and other Tosh family members crowded the stage for a final farewell to this year's celebration.
The event was hosted by Copeland Forbes (OD) and Tommy Cowan.